Auténtico

Gilberto Santa Rosa
(Sony)

Reviewed by/Reseña por: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Translated by/Traducido por: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

English

Español

For the last seven or eight years “El Caballero de la Salsa” has been releasing some pretty lame salsa grooves leaving behind the hardcore salseros that were his bread and butter. He said this year he was making an album that would reconnect him with his salsa roots, so you can imagine the enthusiasm “cócolos” all over the world had. The question is, did he deliver on his promise? Well, sort of.

The first two tracks that open the CD follow the path of his previous releases, and then we get the Pedro Flores composition, "Traigo de todo." This song rips! Santa Rosa vocals and soneos are flawless here. And then just like that, we are back to that pop salsa. While there are some good songs in between, nothing really grabs you as the third track did.

Then something remarkable happens. As I’m reading the lyrics and liner notes, Santa Rosa writes, "The next three songs are what tradition is all about." And just like that, the gates of heaven open and you are in the presence of royalty.

"El son de la madrugada" by Cuba’s Adalberto Álvarez, opens this trilogy and the band goes into solos. When was the last time you heard a Gilberto release with solos by each of the band members? Special guests Sonny Bravo on piano, Mike Collazo on timbales, Manny Oquendo on bongos, Andy González on bass and Mario Rivera on sax, puts this song right up there with anything "El caballero" did with Willie Rosario. "Sigue ella Boba" is next, with an intoxicating son montuno, and I mean son montuno! José Alberto "El Canario" lends his vocal talents on the last track, "Juan Manuel" where these two soneros show why they are considered two of the baddest improvisers in this genre.

While you have to go through some poppy tunes, the hardcore tunes make up for any feeling of being a let down. However, the question remains, "Why is Gilberto holding back?" Just let loose, brother! You’ve been giving the pop world your brand of salsa romántica for years. Now it is time you give the salseros what we want, and I hope the swinging tunes on this recording are an indication that you are heading in that direction.